Cardboard Spaceship

Turkey Again

Not a complaint about it being Xmas, but a reason that it has been blogging light the last week or so.  I am working full time with a Turkish customer to show them the delights of SAP, which is my day job after all. 

Interesting way of working this time round, as normally I use SAP's corporate demo systems and that works fine.  This time round we had to do it on site with the server in the room, and a bunch of local techies supporting us.  (Very well, it has to be said, the Turkish education system has some pretty fierce competition within it, and the people who make it through seem to really know their onions.) 

Normally, we have to drive the demo systems carefully, because we are sharing with others, and we have to leave the camp site as we found it.  This time round the machine dies at the end of the week, and so we can be a lot more adventurous about what we do.  It's like being given an 18 wheeler truck, and empty airfield, and the assurance its going to be set on fire when you have finished, no matter what you have done to it in the meantime. 

Vroom, Vroom, Crash, Bang, Wallop! 

Normal blogging from Geneva resumes next week. 

Oh, the Horror...

People often comment on me living in Switzerland, and how it must be nice, but, well, rather dull. 

Not one bit of it, we live in daily peril here in this country, I tell you. 

Russia and the New World Currency

Another very interesting shot in the diplomatic joust between America and its creditors.  Dmitri Medvedev, President of Russia showed off a coin from the new world currency, which he had in his pocket, and which was given to each of the attending heads of state at the G8. 

PR stunt maybe, but one that should have the debt leaden USA trembling like a shitting dog at the moment. 

Whatever else he did though, he did maintain a noble Rusiian tradition by looking like this, at the walkabout, which if you ask me looks more than a little tired and emotional, as Private Eye would say.   (Via the Exile.)

World Climate and Cap and Trade

Interesting opinion piece here about the cap and trade.  If the case for climate change is not watertight, no pun intended, then this could be a very wrong move.  It would seem that there is significant doubt in the real world about whether the computer jockeys have the right models. 

I think that there is a case for having other sources of energy, not least of all because oil, coal and gas are finite, and so we so need to have something more sustainable. 

Ronald Does a Bunk to Geneva

There goes the neighbourhood.  Ronald MacDonald and all his chums, or at least the ones not making minimum wage serving ground up cow's udders are moving to be in Spaceshipland. 

I honestly have no clue where they are going to put all these people. 

Great Tagline

Had Philip Hogden drop a longish comment on my view about the fact that the potential collapse of the Californian economy is not a brand issue.  Obviously, if someone takes the time and courtesy to do that, you want to know more about them.  I went to his site, and the reason I am posting this is because of the tagline on the site, which is to do with international tax advice.

"International tax is complicated. We’re not."

Heh.  That gets my vote as the only financial services slogan I have seen that struck a chord for a long time. 

World's Eight Largest Brand Collapses According to Clueless Shill

Sometimes in the midst of the current drama we see evidence of people (the majority of the population usually,) who have failed to grasp the extent of the problem. 

"the long-term brand and the image are hurt for good."

What is this useless bastard (crisis communications consultant Chris Lehane) talking about?  Crunchy frogs found in a Burger King box?  Accidental inclusion of glass shards in toilet tissue supply? 

Actually, he is talking about the collapse of California, the world's eight largest economy. 

Gives me itchy fists just reading bullshit like that.